Architects in Santiago, MN

“Anthony at ADS Designs was a pleasure to work with through our house design process. He was very professional and met all our aggressive timelines while offering creative solutions. We would highly recommend his services!”

“Spring of 2014 my husband and I started planning our lake home. We had never built a home before and were tackling a cottage style custom home. After 8 weeks of pulling my hair out with terms I didn’t understand, countless hours researching on the internet, my lack of confidence in my ability to convey “charming” and “quaint” regarding the finished home would look, I was at the end of my rope. Marla Waseka, Graceful Spaces, was recommended to us by a friend and when we met her we connected immediately. It started with a simple, “so you are looking for a story and a half” cottage—and we were off and running. Marla is very knowledgeable, creative and resourceful. It was clear that the bulk of the decision making would be on my shoulders. With that said, my whole attitude about planning and building has changed and it now building the lake home that we are proud of is becoming a reality. 1. She took my random thoughts, ideas and pictures I had of likes/dislikes and helped us create the vision of what “our” cottage home would be. 2.She is our advocate and has provided so many creative options for design “issues” as we have gone along with the project. Her gentle guidance on design options and design alternatives has been so beneficial to our success. 3.When my eyes have glazed over and start to roll to the back of my head, Marla took over with the decisions—and this happened frequently! She understands what we want and can step in to make sure we get it. 4.Marla guided us on areas to save and where to splurge. In addition, she hunted down materials for our cost saving. She found us a reclaimed door that is half the cost of our budget and so unique and perfect for our space. And by the way, she’s always kept our budget at the forefront of our discussions. 5.In addition to all these other accolades, Marla has worked exceptionally well with our builder and subcontractors. Our lake home is not completed but we are so excited with each new stage of development. We highly recommend Marla Waseka of Graceful Spaces and will be using her again in the future!”

“This is an amazing site. I very much enjoyed the photos of the cabins. Each of the homes are works of art. I know from experience that Stephen meets deadlines and comes close on budgets. Stephen's knowledge enables him to create not only sensible, workable, and creative spaces but also a home that is not only unique but expresses who you are. Stephen is the architectural designer you want.”

“I have hired Steve to design several of my projects and he has been nothing short of impressive. Steve is a pleasure to work with from the first time we walk onto a project until the final drawings are complete. What makes Steve different from other designers I've worked with, is that he "listens" to his customers, and asks just the right questions to make sure that his clients are getting a design with the best interests of their lifestyle in mind. Although Steve is excellent at putting your ideas into reality, his greatest feature, I think, is his creativity. When my customers don't have a lot of design ideas of their own for their project, they can sit back and let Steve do what he does best and create them a custom design from scratch. Steve is a top-notch designer; one that I recommend highly.”

“The people we entrust some of our signature designs to, our building process always starts with The Design Team. They offer unique, and well thought out designs that our clients love. We thoroughly enjoy working with The Design Team and look forward to many more future projects together.”

“We have worked with Jodi on two occasions, The first was an extensive remodel of our loft open area: kitchen, living, dining, entry and patio. Several years later we Jodi worked with us on a total redo of our master bed, bath, and closet. We have also seen some of Jodi's projects and are amazed at how unique each one is. Jodi spent time with us to get to know our "style" and worked closely with us during the project. I especially appreciate the way that she distills our wish-list to several options to choose from in both designs and finishes. We have learned to trust her vision. One example of this is the Ingo Maurer "schilitz" light hanging over our dining table. We weren't totally sold on it at first but it is now one of our favorite pieces. Jodi was with us every step of the way and the vendors and craftsmen she works with are wonderful.”